Is the deglobalisation writing on the wall? How China is reversing cultural openness with the West

Click screenshot for article

Take aim at own foot. Shoot. 

That’s what China is doing if it continues to change signage from English to Hanyu Pinyin.

Two reasons:

1. The Chinese don’t read Pinyin (romanised version of Chinese). I don’t either. There’s a People’s Daily Pinyin version. I don’t know anyone that reads it. For those who read Chinese (I do), it’s easier to read the Chinese than the Pinyin. 
2. Foreigners read Pinyin even less. Yet China wants to encourage international tourism. At least when Covid is not lurking. This goes counter to that aim. And counter to having Chinese understand more English, the language of international commerce and science.

On another issue raised in the article, I made this comment at the site, which was the most upvoted at time of writing (11 Feb):

Re this issue of "why does China have to follow western rules"? China closed itself off from 1949 to around 1980 (I arrived in Peking in 1976). In that same time the world -- yes, led by US, but still the *world* -- set up structures, the GATT/WTO, ILO, WHO, UNCTAD, etc. etc.  A kind of "club" if you will. Or clubs.

China wanted to join this club. And agreed to abide by its rules. That's the way with Clubs.  When China breached many rules of the Club or clubs, as they did, the West gets annoyed.  Not surprising.

This is not the west, the US, "out to get China". It's about abiding by a rules-based international order.